expectorate

verb

Pronunciation: /ɪkˈspɛktəreɪt/

Definition

Eject phlegm or mucus from the throat or lungs by coughing or spitting.

Examples

• The nurse instructed the patient to expectorate into the container so they could test for infection.

• He struggled to expectorate the thick mucus that had been building up in his chest all morning.

• Public health campaigns in the early 20th century explicitly forbade people to expectorate on sidewalks to prevent the spread of tuberculosis.

Synonyms of expectorate

Words with a similar meaning to expectorate:

• spit
• cough up
• clear one's throat
• expectorate

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